Imagine if your high‑school reunion was packed with your entire graduating class, then someone served you nostalgia cocktails until you nodded off. That’s Happy Gilmore 2, the Netflix sequel that feels less like a new chapter and more like a decades‑late group photo shoot of every Sandler joke you once quoted.
It’s moronic, frequently witless, and relentlessly vulgar, precisely the qualities that die‑hard fans will embrace with open arms.
Happy Gilmore 2 Movie: Tone, Story & Cameos
Sandler returns as the irascible Happy Gilmore: widowed, feckless, and drowning in grief after accidentally killing his wife with a golf ball. His salvation? A dusty comeback to fund his daughter Vienna’s ballet dream in Paris, played by Sandler’s real‑life daughter Sunny.
Julie Bowen’s brief ghost cameo as Virginia frames a film intent on emotional stakes, even if the bursts of sincerity are mostly overpowered by slapstick.
This sequel is drowning in cameos, real golf stars, SNL alumni, Sandler’s family. A running gag about characters melting under golf‑ball blows gives way to surreal fantasy segments—like Bad Bunny covering Travis Kelce in honey while a bear costume menaces him. In other words, it’s a carnival.
Happy Gilmore 2: Populism Meets Juvenile Rage
Netflix’s Happy Gilmore sequel feels like the latest in the dumber and dumbest sweepstakes. In spirit, Happy Gilmore 2 doubles down on that diagnosis. There’s no subtlety to the physical humor or the ethos, just broad gags, beer flasks made from anything, and unrepentant vulgarity.
Yet fans find a soft spot for populist comedies, if they delivered heart. Here, we get token emotional beats: Happy’s grief, his role as father, even a cemetery showdown honoring Chubbs (Carl Weathers’ character) through his son Slim. It’s enough to aim for sentiment, though the narrative sag feels thin beside waves of callbacks and fatigue‑inducing homage.
Critics’ Grades: From B‑ to Alien Abomination
Happy Gilmore Reviews range from lukewarm to scathing. CinemaBlend and Collider gave moderate praise: “a love letter to the original,” with a balance of nostalgia and emotional depth, ratings around 4/5 and 7/10.
IndieWire offered a B‑, noting surprising tenderness beneath the chaos. But The Hollywood Reporter called it “terrible… moronic, witless and relentlessly vulgar,” which is exactly the kind of movie “Happy Gilmore” fans will gobble up.
SlashFilm rated it a dismal 2/10: “a poor excuse for nostalgic comedy… you’d have more fun with a rake in your colon.” The Guardian echoed it: bloated runtime, nepotism, cameo fatigue, yet unexpected charm remains in its goofy tribute to golf’s traditions and the spirit of silly comfort food filmmaking.
Rotten Tomatoes reflects this schism: critics hovering around 46 % predicted score, while audience reaction sits closer to 72 % fresh.
If you came for originality, sharp comedic writing, or a movie that stands proudly apart from its legacy, you’ll likely walk off the green disappointed. Happy Gilmore 2 is a bloated homage that doesn’t strive to reinvent anything.
But if nostalgia fuels your fandom, if you enjoy countless cameos, crude jokes, and a familiar character sliding into mid‑life chaos, you’ll get exactly what you expect.
This isn’t filmmaking with sharp edges. It’s comfort food dressed in a golf glove, aimed squarely for fans who still say “putt, putt” when referencing Sandler. Sometimes it’s enough for a hit; sometimes it’s just a swing and a miss.
Takeaway: For Happy Gilmore Fans Only
Great for fans of the original: if you quote lines, own the DVD, and appreciate cameo-stuffed indulgence, this hits the mark.
Light on substance: the emotional core exists, but it’s overwhelmed by callback overload and weak plotting.
Expectation management: viewers hoping for fresh comedy, sharp satire, or grounded storytelling should tee off early.
Happy Gilmore 2 throws a wild bunker shot, sometimes hilarious, often exhausting. It’s not smart, but it knows its target audience. Comes with frequent groans, and occasional laughs. For better or worse, fans will love it.
Happy Gilmore 2 Full Credits
Production Companies: Happy Madison Productions, Netflix, Pro Shop Studios, STX Films, Universal Pictures
Distributor: Netflix
Cast: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Benny Safdie, Ben Stiller, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), John Daly, Haley Joel Osment, Jackie Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Philip Schneider, Ethan Cutkosky, Conor Sherry, Kevin Nealon, Lavell Crawford, Kym Whitley, John Farley, Eric André, Martin Herlihy, Margaret Qualley
Director: Kyle Newacheck
Writers: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Producers: Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy, Jack Giarraputo, Robert Simonds
Executive Producers: Judit Maull, Kevin Grady, Dennis Dugan, Barry Bernardi, David Bausch, Dan Bulla
Cinematography: Zak Mulligan
Production Design: Perry Andelin Blake
Editor: Brian Robinson
Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Costume Design: Jordy Scheinberg
Rating: PG‑13 | Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes